excursion rescheduled

Holy Well Excursion #1

Just wanted to let you know that the Holy Well Excursion #3, originally planned for March 27th, has been rescheduled to Sunday April 10 at 2:00 pm.  There was a whole host of activities planned in Halifax, all taking place on the 27th, and the best thing to do was reschedule the Excursion to April 10.  Please see below for details.


HOLY WELL EXCURSION #3

Sunday April 10, starting at 2:00 pm:

This hour-long excursion will celebrate ritual and rite of passage that is often associated with purposeful travel to sacred sites.  Participants meet at the Gatekeeper's Lodge at Point Pleasant Park and will be guided by foot to the only potable water source in the park, mysteriously refered to as "The Holy Well".

Interested participants should RSVP by email to printedpages@gmail.com with Holy Well as the subject line, at least 1 day prior to the excursion.  Excursions will take place rain or shine, please wear suitable footwear for trail-walking in the park.

call for submissions

If you don't know of Eyelevel Gallery, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the wonderful folks there.  As I prepare for the last 2 months of my residency in the park, I am so happy to be passing along the torch to Eyelevel, who are planning their 2011 Summer Performance Series in the park, and are supported by many of the same groups that have supported my residency.  If you are living in Halifax, interested in performance art and you are an artist/performer yourself, please visit their website through the link above for the complete call.  A brief description for their proposed July Performance series In Point Pleasant is below:

Eyelevel Gallery invites proposals for the Eyelevel Public Performance Series that will take place in Point Pleasant Park.  Four regional artists living and working in the Halifax Regional Municipality will be selected to deliver performance-based works. We are looking for works that thoughtfully utilize this public space and its rich and diverse histories. Successful proposals will explore experimental and environmental education and engage the accidental audience. Performances should temporarily engage a space within the park's boundaries and will each day conclude a public presentation in Point Pleasant Lodge. Proposals should address Point Pleasant Park as a specific site, giving visitors the opportunity to react and interact with outdoor performances. We encourage a variety of performances to take place between June 25 and 26th, 2011.

Please consider that Point Pleasant Park is a public space, attended by a diversity of regular park visitors. The selections committee will consider submissions that approach and stimulate Point Pleasant Park with respect and sensitivity. If you have any questions or concerns about the eligibility of your project, please contact Sarah Burwash at publicrelations@eyelevelgallery.ca

Deadline: Submissions must be received no later than 5pm on March 29th, 2011

On a side note, if you are interested in submitting a project proposal and would like to know more about the park or this residency, please feel free to be in touch through the blog and we can make a date for a walk in the park or chat in the lodge.

to the lamplighter

Image from Lamplighter's Invocation Printed Matter

Saturday's Lamplighter Invocation was, for me, one of those evenings where the universe stops for a moment and gives you the gift of a perfect Dusk.  The snow that was threatening the afternoon subsided, the Super Moon made an appearance, and the ceremony went off without a hitch.  Participants gathered at the Gatekeeper's Lodge at 7:10 pm, and observed my approach as the lantern carrier.

Lantern carrier on Lodge Road

One lantern was hanging from the light hook on the porch of the Gatekeeper's Lodge to gather the participants, while the lantern carrier balanced the remaining four lanterns.  As five lamp posts were moved from the park's Tower Road entrance, then installed at the Young Street entrance, the lantern carrier walked from the old lamp post site to the new relocated lanterns.

Reproduction Lanterns

Five reproduction collapsible brass lanterns were used in the Invocation, originally patented in 1900, the lanterns were used by engineers and miners during the same era as when the Park and Gatekeeper's Lodge were being established.  These lanterns hold a single wax candle each.  The light produced from the lanterns was lovely, and provided the participants with a means of keeping warm in the cool night.  The Invocation took place from dusk to full nightfall, so as we travelled from the Gatekeeper's Lodge to each of the five newly stationed lamp posts, the lanterns became more visually impactful.


The next component of the Invocation was a series of readings, performed while standing on the rungs of a ladder, in front of each lamp post.  I was able to read with light provided by sulphur marine flares, which also illuminated the new lamp posts, drawing attention to their bas relief details and newly refinished surface.  The reading was an adapted text from Boleslaw Prus' micro-story, Shades, which was first published in 1885, and employs the lamplighter as a metaphor for good citizens defending against a potentially dark world.  While Prus' text was written in Polish, I wanted to work with the translation myself and write into the text, so I've called my version of 'Shades' Into the Shadow; a post-mortem collaboration with Boleslaw Prus.  The micro-story was divided into five parts, one of the five was recited at each new lamp post.

Photo by CB

By the time we arrived at the fifth lamp post, night was setting in.  Each lamp post reading was completed with the phrase WE CALL TO THE LAMPLIGHTER, recited by the group.  The Invocation itself was completed with an illuminated toast to the lamplighter, where all participants lit their own celebratory sparklers from the last marine flare.


The Lamplighter's Invocation was a fantastic way to celebrate the last day of Winter, the full moon, and to call forth the lamplighter's spirit to Point Pleasant Park's newly refurbished lamp posts.  I want to thank the participants who joined me Saturday evening, making the Invocation truly special.  Also special mention to Mark Kasumovic who took all the above photos (except where noted).  


All participants in the Lamplighter's Invocation and Holy Well Excursions received limited edition printed matter related to the event (among other goodies).  If you have been hoping for an opportunity to become a Holy Well Excursioneer, fear not!  There is one more Holy Well Excursion planned.  Originally, the time was slated for 2:00 pm next Sunday, March 27, but due to a conflicting event, the time and date for the excursion is being moved to April.  Please stay tuned for more details. 

LAMPLIGHTER'S INVOCATION this Saturday!

National Portrait Gallery, London, early 1900's

I have to tell you, I'm really excited about the LAMPLIGHTER'S INVOCATION, this Saturday at 7:10 pm.  This particular performance has been in the works for a while, and the research that I've been conducting about lamplighters, their lost profession, and the metaphorical power of their actions has been rich and inspiring - to say the least.  


Looking into the structure of the lamps from lamplighters' era, I learned that the lamp poles were constructed with cross bars for the lighter's ladder to rest upon while they lit the lamps (hello tonguetwister...).  The ladder would almost always be hardwood, often round-rung, and made by the lamplighter themselves, as they had to provide their own working equipment.  As lamps moved from fuel and wick to gas power, many lamplighter's abandoned their ladders and match boxes in favour of long lighting sticks (as seen below).

One of my favourite new facts about lamplighters is that they would gather as groups in larger areas of cities, these gatherings were called a MUSTER. Survival training and drills also use the term MUSTER to describing the head count required in emergency situations. If you've been checking out the park performances, you know that I love it when history and survival practice collide!

As Charles Dickens said of lamplighters: "lamplighters are a strange people; that they rigidly adhere to old ceremonies and customs which have been handed down among them", which makes them my kind of strange people. Please read below for INVOCATION details, I hope to see you in the park on Saturday night!

LAMPLIGHTER'S INVOCATION 

Saturday March 19, starting at 7:10 pm sharp: 

This procession will commemorate and illuminate the old and new sites for the Point Pleasant Park cast iron lamps, made by the Glasgow Corporation Lighting Department in 1900.  The lamps, removed from the Tower road entrance to be refinished and retrofitted with LED lights, are currently being placed near the Park Gates and the Young Street entrance to the park.  

The ceremony will begin at precisely 7:10 pm at the Gatekeeper's Lodge and will take place rain or shine.

All are welcome to participate.

holy well excursion #1

Map of Point Pleasant Park with list of water sources

Sunday was an amazing day at the park - tons of people out with friends, family, pets and our exquisite Holy Well Excursion Group.  Everyone gathered at the Gatekeeper's Lodge and we set out on our mission to locate the mysterious Holy Well, reputed to be located in the Park.

The Holy Well Excursion was developed from research that I had been doing about different features of the park made by people over the last 130 years.  I read in an archeological report from 2006, that a feature called the Holy Well existed on Park land, and was one of the only sources of potable (safe drinking) water untreated by the city and available in the South End of Halifax.  Most survival manuals take a great deal of time to emphasize the importance of clean drinking water, humans can survive a week without food, but only 2 days without water.  


Celebrating our search with flags made from survival solar blankets, an emergency radio broadcast, a very loud whistle and my MUSTANG suit, the group of 7 excursioneers set out by foot to find the Holy Well and bring back some of its bounty to the Lodge. 

At junction of Lodge Road and Cambridge Drive

Arrival at Holy Well

Having arrived at the sought-after well, we planted our flags for a moment while preparing for the collection of water and a survival blessing for the excursioneers.  The mantra  BE CALM. THINK FAST.  is often repeated in survival literature, and has a meditative quality to the combination of words.  Zen koans are often short directives or phrases meant to shock the mind into awareness and I find the survival mantra above does the same in that two seemingly opposite ideas are being encouraged simultaneously.

BE CALM. THINK FAST. Blessings at the Holy Well

Gathering of water from the Holy Well

After making the blessings and crossing back over the Holy Well as a group, we returned to the Gatekeeper's Lodge, with water in hand and high spirits.  Groundskeepers at the park apparently know about the well's location, but very little is known about its history other than the reputation it holds for clear, clean drinking water.  As I discussed with the group, Spring is not the best time to drink from free-flowing sources of table water (such as this) because of the melt down and run off containing debris that was frozen over the winter and is only now melting.

Return to Lodge on Birch Road

Holy Well Water sample and Sustenance Printed Matter

All the participants who joined in Sunday's Holy Well Excursion received a sample of the Holy Well Water and a printed document related to water procurement in survival scenarios.  I want to thank all the excursioneers for making Sunday a fantastic day, particular thanks to CB for photographing the event.


If you would like to participate in a Holy Well Excursion, there are two more planned, one for March 21st and another on April 10th at 2:00 pm.  I would also like to invite any interested folks out to the Lamplighter's Invocation this Saturday night at 7:10 pm.  Please read the below post excursions and an invocation for more information.  These events are open to anyone of any age, including furry companions.


BE CALM. THINK FAST.

saving the daylight

Just a friendly neighbourhood reminder for those interested in joining me for the HOLY WELL EXCURSION tomorrow afternoon; we will be gathering at the Gatekeeper's Lodge at Young and Point Pleasant St. at 2:00 pm.  Please set your clocks forward 1 hour Saturday night so that we can all meet at the same time Sunday.  The park is pretty muddy right now so wear sturdy walking gear.

All are welcome to join, including furry companions!

I Hope to see you in the park tomorrow.

excursions & an invocation

Janet Evelyn McEuen and the Ajax Club Excursion, Halifax, 1940-41

Titles for my projects allow me to dig deep into language and discover the etymology, the origin of words and their change in meaning throughout history, of terms that I hope will enrich my work.  On that note I would like to invite you to a series of excursions and an invocation in Point Pleasant Park during the month of March.


So why an excursion? 

Why not an expedition, a journey, jaunt, pilgrimage or tour?  Well, an excursion is a special kind of field-trip, which returns to its point of departure and can occur leisurely in the span of a day.  The technical definition states an excursion is the instance of the movement of something along a path or through an angle, it is also a deviation from a regular pattern or path.

North West Arm boating excursion, 1907

Historically, excursion is also a term to describe a military sortie; an attack made by troops 
coming out from a position of defense.  Point Pleasant Park, with its batteries, towers, and stationed troops, is a site of defense where military excursion would have taken place had Halifax been attacked by ship.  I hope you can join me for one or more of the upcoming excursions in the park (please see below).


HOLY WELL EXCURSIONS
Sunday March 13, Monday March 21, and Sunday April 10, starting at 2:00 pm: 
These hour-long excursions will celebrate ritual and rite of passage that is often associated with purposeful travel to sacred sites.  Participants will meet at the Gatekeeper's Lodge at Point Pleasant Park and be guided by foot to the only potable water source in the park, mysteriously refered to as "The Holy Well".  

Interested participants should RSVP by email to printedpages@gmail.com with Holy Well as the subject line, at least 1 day prior to the excursion.  Excursions will take place rain or shine, please wear suitable footwear for trail-walking in the park.

Lamp lighter at Finsbury Park, London

I recently dedicated a post to the new lamp posts that are currently being installed at the Gate entrance to Point Pleasant Park.  The posts have been placed (they are gorgeous!) and are in need of celebration!  Invocations have been used throughout time and by secular groups and world religions to invoke spirits, commence ceremonies, and mark transitions to new eras.  An invocation is an appeal, a summons, a call for assistance and authority and it is also the incantation used for this call.  The Point Pleasant Park Lamplighter's Invocation will recognize the roll of the lamplighter in history, and will take place at a very special time of year; the last evening of this year's Winter, and on a full moon.  I hope you can join me to invoke the spirit of the lamplighter, a new spring, and March's young moon at its zenith.  Please read below for details.

Projected moon, March 19 2011

LAMPLIGHTER'S INVOCATION 
Saturday March 19, starting at 7:10 pm sharp: 
This procession will commemorate and illuminate the old and new sites for the Point Pleasant Park cast iron lamps, made by the Glasgow Corporation Lighting Department in 1900.  The lamps, removed from the Tower road entrance to be refinished and retrofitted with LED lights, are currently being placed near the Park Gates and the Young Street entrance to the park.  

The ceremony will begin at precisely 7:10 pm at the Gatekeeper's Lodge and will take place rain or shine.

All are welcome to participate.  I hope to see you in the park.

HALIFAX.

Halifax map, circa 1894

Ridiculously quick post today - I couldn't resist sharing a detail of this gorgeous map from Karl Baedeker's Handbook for Travellers: The Dominion of Canada, with Newfoundland and an Excursion to Alaska, published originally before 1923, which has been reprinted recently in 2010.  Please check out the entire map through the link.  Of great interest to my research is the left side of the peninsula, featuring an Old Penitentiary!  I will definitely be revealing more about this architectural oddity and its placement near the park.  How's that for a teaser?!